Mayiga: Copyright alone won’t make Ugandan creatives rich

What the report says

Buganda Kingdom Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga has urged Ugandan creatives not to rely on copyright law alone to solve their financial challenges. Speaking at Bulange while hosting singer Irene Namatovu and other creatives, he argued that lasting success in the creative sector comes from talent, branding, discipline, innovation and business sense, with copyright serving mainly to protect value that has already been created.

Mayiga said artists should focus on building work that audiences are willing to pay for, rather than assuming legal protection will automatically bring wealth. He used examples from the region’s music industry, including Tanzanian star Diamond Platnumz and Ugandan singer Eddy Kenzo, to suggest that strong reputations, performance skills and commercial appeal are what create demand for artists’ services.

He described copyright as a safeguard rather than a source of income, comparing it to a padlock that only matters if there is something valuable behind the door. His remarks come as copyright and neighbouring-rights enforcement remains a live issue in Uganda, where artists, producers and rights groups have continued pushing for stronger protection and fair payment for the use of creative works.

The broader message, as reported by Sqoop Uganda, was that creatives should treat their craft as a business and build sustainable value before expecting copyright to deliver financial returns.